Page 65 of Ivory Oath

“We have to get him inside.” My teeth are chattering so hard I’m not sure Viviana understands what I’m saying. But she grabs Dante’s arm and helps me lift him.

He isn’t heavy, but it feels like my arms are frozen solid. I can barely bend my elbows.

Viviana leads the way through the trees, cutting through overgrown bushes and disregarding the path entirely. We don’t have time for it.

After what feels like hours, the cabin comes into view. “We’re almost there, kid,” I whisper through my chattering teeth. “Hold on.”

Dante has stopped crying, but only because he’s shaking as hard as I am.

As soon as we get inside, I head for the bathroom off of the main bedroom. It’s the only tub large enough for both of us.

Viviana drops to her knees and turns the hot water on.

“Undress him,” I tell her, gesturing to Dante. Then I turn the knobs back to lukewarm, at most. As bad as the cold water felt, dipping our half-frozen bodies into hot water would be just as painful. We need to warm up slowly.

Viviana tears away layer after layer from Dante while I peel my snow pants and thermals down. I strip down to my boxers and step into the half-full tub. The water is barely above cold, but I hiss as I lower one foot and then the other. I slide beneath the surface reluctantly and hold my arms open for Dante.

“Hand him to me. Now.”

There are still tears streaming down Viviana’s face, but she’s focused. Her mouth is set in a determined line as she lifts our pale, shivering son off the floor and hands him to me.

As soon as he touches the water, he recoils, but I force him in little by little.

“I know it hurts,” I soothe. My teeth are still chattering, but it’s less intense. “This will help.”

Dante is too weak to fight, so I curl him against my chest and hold his body under the water.

As the pain starts to ebb, I make the water pouring into the tub a little warmer and then a little warmer still. After a few minutes, we’ve both stopped shivering. A few minutes after that, Dante is asleep in my arms, too exhausted to keep his eyes open.

It’s only then that Viviana falls apart.

She claws at my neck and shoulders—every part of me she can reach above the water. “You saved him, Mikhail. You saved him.”

I lean my cheek against the crown of her head. “Of course I did. I’ll always save him.”

But I was almost too late.

I can feel Dante breathing steadily in and out, but I’ll never forget the way it felt when he was still and damn near dead in my arms. I’ll work my entire life to make sure I never get that close to losing him again. Either of them.

“When you went in, I didn’t know if—” She sobs, burying her face in my neck. Her breath is hot on my cool skin. “I thought I was going to lose you both. I thought we were all going to die out there.”

“You weren’t in the water,” I remind her gently.

She pulls back, her green eyes clear and bright as she takes me in. “I was going in after you. After both of you. There’s no point in me being alive if you two aren’t here.”

I wanted to keep Viviana at arm’s length.

When we got married, it was out of some twisted obligation to take care of her and our offspring. I didn’t care about her.

Not the way I do now.

“Viviana,” I breathe.

She looks me over like she’s searching for something she can fix. “Yeah? What is it?”

I hold Dante tighter against my chest and curl my cold hand around Viviana’s neck. She flinches, but then leans into my palm, giving me her weight.

I want all of it.

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